Support apparatus for resistance heated source holders



Jan. 25, 1966 v R. P. RADKE SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR RESISTANCE HEATEDSOURCE HOLDERS Filed Jan. 6, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. RICHARD PRADKE R. P. RADKE Jan. 25, 1966 SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR RESISTANCE HEATEDSOURCE HOLDERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 6, 1964 INVENTOR. RICHARD PRADKE AGENT United States Patent u 3,231,846 SUPPGRT APPARATUS FURRESISTANCE HEATED SQURCE HOLDERS Richard P. Radke, 108 18 Reseda Blvd,Northridge, Calif. Filed Jan. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 335,913 1 Claim. (Cl.339-32) This invention relates to vacuum evaporation apparatus and moreparticularly to a versatile support apparatus for resistance heatedsource holders.

The art of vacuum evaporation requires a means of providing extremelyhigh temperatures to a source of material to be evaporated. Therefore, aresistance type source holder is employed for many applications. The

source holder varies in configuration with the particular operation tobe performed. For example, most manufacturers of source holders ofiermore than 100 different types of source holders. The source holder inturn must be supported and means must be provided to connect the sourceholder in series with an electrical power supply.

Prior art support or clamping devices for the source holders have beencustom made to accommodate only 'one or a very limited number of sourceholders. The prior art supports for source holders generally have beenconstructed by "bending heavy copper straps in the appropriateconfiguration and then bolting them directly to the electrical leadspassing through the vacuum chamber. The ends of the heavy copper strapsthat are to support the source holder are then drilled and tapped toaccommodate individual appropriate clamps and the source holder issupported by the clamps.

The'support for source holders, described above, is usable only for thesize source holder for which it is de signed and it is generallyrestricted to the vacuum system in which it is mounted.

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages and limitations of theprior art supports for source holders by utilizing a stationary clampingblock fixed to one end of a base block and at least one movable clampingblock capable of being positioned opposite the stationary clamping blockat various distances from the stationary clamping block. Both thestationary and the movable clamping blocks have means for clamping oneend of the source holder in a variety of positions on the top and sideof the clamping blocks.

The objects and advantages of the present invention will be more fullyexplained in the following description, with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the present invention with two sourceholders in position; and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the present invention with one of themovable clamping blocks moved toward the stationary block to accommodatean upright source holder.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is shown a base 10. The base preferablyis metal. A stationary clamping block 11 is fixed to one end of the base18. The clamping block 11 is constructed of an electrically conductivematerial and has V grooves 12 in the top and side thereof. The grooves12 are cut to accommodate the wire type source holders (shown in FIGURE2).

Clamps 13, 14, 15 and 16 are removably positioned on the top and sidesof clamping block 11. The method of positioning the clamps is a matterof choice, however, metal screws inserted in tapped holes in theclamping block 11 have proven to be very satisfactory. It should benoted that clamps 13 and 16 may be lowered by utilizing the two lowesttapped holes in the stationary block 11.

3,231,845 Patented Jan. 25, 1966 Movable clamping blocks 17 and 18 areseparated from the base 19 by the supporting spacers 19. The spacers 19are electrical insulating supports commonly used in the art.

The base 10 has holes 20 to accommodatescrews (not shown) which passthrough the holes 20 into tapped holes (not shown) in the bottom of thespacers 19. Therefore, the spacers 19 and consequently the clampingblocks 17 and 18 can be moved to change the distance between the movableclamping blocks 17 and 18 and the stationary block 11.

The clamping blocks 17 and 18 also have V grooves on the top and sidesthereof to accommodate the wire type holders. Clamping blocks 17 and 18have clamps 2t 21, 22 and 23, which are similar to clamps 13, 14.15 and16. The clamps on the movable clamping blocks 17 and 18 can be held inposition in the same manner that the clamps on the stationary clampingblock 11 are held in position.

A shield 24 is positioned between the two movable clamping blocks andextends from one end of the base 10 to the slot provided in thestationary clamping block 11. Preferably a slot is provided in the baseplate to accommodate the shield 24.

Instead of the holes 20, the base can have three slots in each side toallow the positioning of the movable clamping blocks 17 and 18. Also thenumber of spacers 19 is optional.

A tapped hole 25 is provided in the stationary clamping block 11 suchthat an electrical connection can be made to the clamping block 11.Similar tapped holes (not shown) can be provided in the movable clampingblocks 17 and 18 to accommodate other electrical connections. Theelectrical connection can be made also directly to one or more of theclamps on each of the clamping blocks.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, a typical dimple type source holder 26 hasone clamped to the stationary clamping block 11 and the other endclamped to the movable clamping block 17. Also a typical wire typesource holder 27 has one end clamped to the stationary clamping block 11and the other end clamped to the movable clamping block 18.

It can now be seen that one material can be evaporated from the sourceholder 26 and another material evaporated from the source holder 27. Theshield 24 shields the material in one source holder from the vaporsgiven oii by the material in the other source holder.

When the movable clamping blocks 17 and 18 are electrically connected toindividual power supplies and the stationary clamping block 11 iselectrically connected to a common ground, the material in the sourceholders 26 and 27 can be evaporated at the same time or at differenttimes.

When a wide source holder is employed, the shield 24 can be removed andboth movable clamping blocks 17 and 18 used to support one end of theWide source holder. In such case only one electrical connection need bemade to either one of the movable clamping blocks.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, a single source holder 28 is held by the sideclamps 13 and 20. Note thatclamp 13 is in the lower position to receiveand make electrical connection with the bottom lead 29 from the sourceholder 28 and clamping block 17 has been moved closer to the stationaryclamping block 11 in order to support and make electrical connectionwith the top lead 30 from the source holder 28. Also a boat type sourceholder 31 is held by the side clamps 16 and 31.

It can be readily seen that the present invention can support manydifferent types of source holders yet the present invention is veryinexpensive to manufacture. Also the present invention can betransferred from one vacuum system to another merely by disconnectingthe 3 electrical leads (not shown) to the clamping blocks 11, 17 and 18.

The materials used to construct the present invention can be any of thenormal materials used inside of vacuum chambers. These materials arewell known to those skilled in the art.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to thepreferred embodiment, it is understood that changes can be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention and the scope of the inventionis set forth in the following claim.

What I claim is:

A device for holding a resistance heated source holder, comprising:

an electrically conductive base;

an electrically conductive stationary clamping block in electricalcontact with and fixed to one end of said base;

means for connecting said stationary clamping block to a source ofelectrical power;

two movable electrically conductive clamping blocks attached to andinsulated from said base, said movable clamping blocks being positionedsuch that a plurality of resistance heated source holders can bepositioned between said stationary clamping block and said movableclamping blocks means for individually connecting said movable clampingblocks to a source of electrical power;

said base having openings selectively therein, thereby permitting saidmovable clamping blocks to be fastened to said base in a variety oflocations;

a plurality of top and side clamps individually associated with saidstationary and each of said two mov- References Cited by the ExaminerUNITED STATES PATENTS,

224,612 2/1880 Sawyer m 219- 458,115 8/1891 Thomson 219 1'53 496,5925/1893 Burton 219153 1,672,996 6/ 1928 Wilson 269-45 2,879,059 3/ 1959Sandefur 269105 2,994,760 8/1961 Pecoraro et a1. 269394 FOREIGN PATENTS801,326 l/ll Germany.

OTHER REFERENCES Universal Compound Angle Plate, Universal Vise &

Tool Co., pamphlet, 1943, pp. 1-4. (Copy in 219-159.)

ANTHONY BARTIS, Acting Primary Examiner.

RICHARD M. WOOD, MILTON O. HIRSHF IE LD,

Examiners.

C. L. ALBRITTON, Assistant Examiner.

